1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for and method of treating hydrocarbon contaminated water utilizing a hydrocarbon absorption media. The apparatus and method of the present invention results in an almost maintenance-free way of substantially removing hydrocarbons from water having sheen found in parking lots, and a preferred embodiment is adapted to prevent and contain hydrocarbon spills in containment areas for electrical transformers or oil tanks. This novel system is placed at the discharge of a pumping system rather than placed in drains feeding the system by gravity.
2. Description of Related Art
The problem involves separating hydrocarbon contaminated water that is removed from low lying locations, and that need to drain clean water to a higher elevation, so gravity feed of contaminated drain water through a filtration device will not work; consequently a pumping system must be used which is capable of filtering larger contaminated flows that are necessarily under much higher pressure than gravity fed hydrocarbon contaminated drain cleaning systems in the prior art.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and method of active treatment of hydrocarbon contaminated water that needs to be pumped from low lying grades to higher elevations, and a system that can function under higher flows and pressures that result. The hydrocarbon contaminated water is rendered substantially hydrocarbon-free for discharge into a stream or ground water.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.